For a Brilliant Toffee-Lover on his Birthday

To tell you about my dad, I could highlight some of the grand gestures he’s made, and he’s made many. He bought me a diesel Volkswagon before my sophomore year of college, for example, which saved me tons of gas money through years of Wisconsin-to-Illinois road-trips and which is the same car I drive today. He had me investing in the stock market at 17; he helped me find my first job; he paid for braces, private schools, vacations and more things than I can remember. He put me through college and grad school.

But to really demonstrate why I love him, I’d rather tell you about simpler, everyday things. Like the other day while he waited for my mom’s car to be repaired, he called to tell me Macy’s was having a 55% off sale. Like every time he notices my gas is low, he quietly borrows my car and fills the tank. When I told him I liked listening to a certain talk radio station, he bought me an XM radio for my car, handed me the box one night like it was the mail. It was a good deal, he said.

My dad isn’t just a good father; he is a true friend, the kind of person I’d like even if we weren’t related. He loves sacrificially, taking the dog out Every. Crazy. Morning. In the cold, dark barely daylight. He always has time for people, whatever the situation or problem. I could call him, any time day or night, to tell him I had a flat tire or was stuck somewhere, and he’d come, no questions. I know because he has. Along with my mom, he has been my biggest fan in every life change, he’s always on my side and he is the person who everyone, not just his daughter, goes to for advice.

So Dad: Thanks for being the kind of man I look up to, love and want to be like. I can never out-give all you’ve given me.

Shanna Mallon started Food Loves Writing back in 2008, as a way to remember her grandma and write about her life through food. Since then it's become a place leading her to a lifestyle of eating whole foods, a new home in Nashville and the love of her life, Tim. Follow Shanna on Twitter @foodloves, keep up with Food Loves Writing on Facebook and stay inspired with the monthly newsletter.